Over 1 Million U.S. Students and Teachers Go Green

(PRWEB) September 25, 2007 -- More than one million students and teachers in the U.S. and around the world are a part of registered Go Green Initiative schools. This program, which began on a kitchen table in 2002, is now the largest and fastest growing environmental education program in the world.

More than 750 schools in 41 states, Europe, Africa, Canada, Indonesia and Mexico participate in the Go Green Initiative worldwide. These schools are reporting remarkable results when it comes to waste diversion. The Go Green Initiative Association, providing a comprehensive environmental improvement plan to schools across the globe, is the first program of its kind to teach schools communities to quantify and report these types of diversion numbers.

"We are so excited to see such positive results without mandates or legislation of any kind - so many schools across the globe are involved because they want to be, not because they have to be," said Jill Buck, founder and executive director of Go Green. "It's so inspiring to see this level of voluntary stewardship."

And the numbers speak for themselves. With 20 percent of the participating schools reporting numbers, between January 2006 and June 2007, Go Green schools kept over 5 million pounds of paper, cardboard, aluminum, plastic, cell phones, printer cartridges, and food waste out of the world's landfills.

The environmental benefits of this aggressive recycling are huge. These Go Green Schools helped the environment in these ways:

* Avoided more than 15,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions

* Saved 1.3 billion gallons of water (paper recycling alone)

* Grew 1.5 million tree seedlings 10+ years through paper recycling

* Saved 208 billion BTU's of energy

* Saved more than 64,000 cubic yards of landfill space

"Who can argue the environmental benefit of individual action when you see the results of these Go Green Schools' recycling efforts?" said Edwin Pinero, the White House's Federal Environmental Executive. "These schools are a shining example of the true spirit of cooperative conservation in America."

"Teachers and students really want to do something proactive to improve their local and the global environment. GGI provides them with the ability to create, execute, and accomplish a fully comprehensive environmental action plan promoting environmental stewardship," according to Meg Morris, a GGI Board Member and former President of the National Recycling Coalition. "It doesn't take an enormous curriculum change to achieve these kinds of results--just simple changes in the way we deal with our school site waste."

"So many adults and youth are interested in knowing what they can do to help improve their community," said John Howard, partner with the Public Policy and Environmental practice groups for Vinson & Elkins LLP, and a GGI Board Member. "The Go Green Initiative offers students and teachers the tools they need to make a difference in communities around the world - and what a difference they're making!"

The reporting schools, along with other schools in the Go Green family, are looking forward to a continuous improvement of their waste diversion in 2008 and beyond.

"Our network continues to grow exponentially," says Buck. "Our web site now averages over 10,000 unique hits per month from all over the world. Our program is available in Spanish and Mandarin, and will soon offer it in French and Russian, as well."

About the Go Green Initiative Association - The Go Green Initiative is the world's fastest growing fully comprehensive environmental action plan for schools. By promoting environmental stewardship on campuses from elementary schools through universities, Go Green works to involve families, businesses and local governments in the common goal of protecting human health through environmental stewardship. Since its inception in July 2002, the Go Green Initiative has been endorsed by the National School Boards Association, National Recycling Coalition, and adopted by 8 State PTA Boards.

More information is available online at www.GoGreenInitiative.org.

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